Addictive Personality Disorder

Addictive Personality Disorder: Description, Causes and Risk FactorsAbbreviation: APD.Addictive Personality Disorder can be defined as a condition wherein an individual is susceptible to addiction. This may include drug abuse or addiction to alcohol, pornography and certain activities, such as gambling, video games, etc. An individual is considered to be at the risk of developing such addictions when he/she exudes aggression, anxiety, depression or lack of self-control and does not know how to manage his/her emotions. Such a person may switch from one addiction to the other or even sustain multiple addictions at different times.The people suffering from addictive personality disorder are very much sensitive to stress. They find it highly intimidating to tolerate frustrating situations, even if it is for a very short duration. Such people often lack self-esteem, show impulsive behavior and usually have a sense of heightened level of stress. Mood swings is another visible symptom of the addictive personality disorder. Let us learn more about the common traits of addictive personality disorder, through the following lines.There may be underlying biological causes for addictive personality disorder. It is widely agreed for instance that addictive personalities are caused by abnormally high levels of dopamine in the brain and this then causes them to require more dopamine in order to maintain the same psychological state. In one study, Parkinson's patients were given a dopamine drug in order to help treat their symptoms and it was found that they become significantly more likely to develop a gambling addiction.Genetics also seem to play a role and twin studies show that alcoholism is inheritable at around 50-70 percent.Risk Factors:

A sense of heightened stress. This may help explain why adolescence and other stressful transition periods are often associated with the most severe drug and alcohol problems.

Symptoms:

Antisocial behavior is one of the visible traits of people suffering from addictive personality disorder. They often turn down the invitations from their close friends and relatives, to parties and other social events, in order to alienate themselves from anybody who knows them in the society. The main reason behind such behavior is that they are fearful of being caught.

The feeling of isolation often haunts people facing the problem of addiction. To substitute the lack of personal relationships, they turn towards drugs, smoking, alcohol consumption, or the like, thinking that such harmful substances are "quick-fix" solutions for their life's problems.

People suffering from APD find it difficult to manage their stress levels. In fact, lack of stress tolerance is a telltale sign of the disorder. They find it difficult to face stressful situations and fight hard to get out of such conditions.

Addictive personalities have difficulty in planning and achieving long-term goals, because their focus remains on the short term targets only.

Such personalities switch to other enjoyable activities, the moment they are deprived of enjoyment in their previous addiction.

Addictive individuals feel highly insecure, when it comes to relationships. They may often find it difficult to make commitments in relationships or trust their beloved. They constantly seek approval of others. As a result, misunderstandings might creep in, which in turn, would ruin their relationships.

People suffering from addictive personality disorder usually undergo depression and anxiety. They manage emotions by developing addiction to drugs, alcohol or other pleasurable activities.

Diagnosis:The DSM IV TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition-text revision), published by American Psychiatric Association, is used to diagnosis a mental illness or a drug/alcohol status. The DSM IV defines all mental illnesses and alcohol/substance use based on specific criteria andis considered multi-axial. The DSM IV TR distinguishes use patterns of alcohol by categorizing it between abuse and dependence. Both diagnoses indicate a maladaptive patter. They are distinguished between the pattern of use itself, the level of tolerance, the consequences incurred by use and ability or inability to stop use of alcohol. Abuse is defined by the beginning of consequences in life areas such as financial, family, social, legal, and work. The person at an alcohol abuse level continues to use despite the consequences. A sign is that the person continues to use either more frequently or consume more drinks placing themselves in a physically, socially, financially or morally unsafe situation. An example would be a person placing themselves at risk of obtaining a DUIdriving under the influence. Another example would be someone who becomes verbally or physically violent when they drink continuing to drink.Dependence is more specifically defined in a strong craving to drink, loss of control (not able to decrease or stop drinking despite consequences), a physical dependence (withdrawal symptoms present when not drinking) and tolerance (need to drink more or more often to get same result.The DSM IV does not diagnosis the process addictions specifically, however, it is noted in personality disorders. In addition, there are categories for obsessive compulsive personality disorder and sexual deviance. A clinician must find the diagnosis that best fits and then add the specifier to note the specific disorder. A psychologist also has the capability of using specific psychologicl tests such as the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) to help identify the disorder.Treatment:Counseling is the best remedy for addictive personality disorder. Send the person suffering from APD to a rehabilitation center. Through meetings at the center, the addictive personality would be able to recover from the disorder easily and effectively.One form of treatment for addictive personality is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These treatments help patients by utilizing coping skills training, relapse prevention, behavior interventions, family and group treatments, facilitated self-change approaches, and aversion therapy. Other ways cognitive therapy works and helps is by using positive reinforcement and behavioral modeling. Along with these, other options that help with treating those who suffer with addictive personality include social support, help with goal direction, rewards, enhancing self-efficacy and help teaching coping skills.Another form of treatment, which can be overlooked, is self-soothing. People with addictive personality disorders use their addictions to self-soothe in stressful situations. However, since their addictions do not actually soothe them, they feel the need to do their addiction more often. For example, a person with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) will repetitively do their obsessions and compulsions because they believe it will soothe them. One treatment option for those suffering from addictive personality disorder is for them to learn to self-soothe in stressful situations in a positive manner. This can be done through intense therapy, where the therapist needs to be patient in order to help those suffering. The therapist will help the patient overcome their helplessness so that the patient can learn to self-soothe.Another form of treatment that has been considered for people with addictive personalities who tend towards substance abuse is medication. A medication called Disulfiram was created in 1947. This pill was used for alcoholics and would cause adverse effects if combined with alcohol. This medication is still used today but two others have been made to help treat alcohol dependence (Acamprosate and Naltrexone). Along with alcohol addictions, Naltrexone is also used for opioid addiction. Although these medications have proven results in decreasing heavy drinking, doctors still have to consider the patients' health when prescribing these medications because it may be healthier for a patient to be on an anti-depressant or some other medication.NOTE: The above information is for processing purpose. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition.DISCLAIMER: This information should not substitute for seeking responsible, professional medical care.

The first randomized clinical trial, performed by the researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School, shows that hydroxychloroquine is not able to prevent the development of COVID-19. The randomized placebo-controlled trial aimed to test if...

Scientists have successfully transplanted functional miniature livers into rats. The organs were grown in the lab from reprogrammed human skin cells donated by the volunteers. Researchers transplanted organs into five rats, and the tiny livers appeared to be...

[WpProQuiz 1]

Featured Products

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

When it is so hot outside you still can find hundreds of ways to cool yourself and drinking a mocktail is one of them. Here are few wonderful recipes for you to try. Kiwi Sour 1 oz orange juice 3 slices kiwi 0.75 oz demerara green tea syrup 0.75 oz lime juice 1 oz...

Many people are motivated for active sports in spring. However, before you buy a membership, you should check which exercises are useful to you and which ones should not be done in any way. Unfortunately, nowadays there are practically no people with an absolutely...

In childhood, many of us dreamed of learning to jump high. Now, after years, it became easier - Kangoo Jumps has appeared. This is one of the relatively new, but quickly gaining popularity types of fitness training. There are several advantages of jumpers. ...

This website uses cookies to provide basic functionality and improved security. 3rd-party cookies are used to improve the browsing experience and targeted advertising. View our Privacy Policy. AcceptRejectRead More

Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.